5
Fogging Danger
Zones that Can
Make Safety
Eyewear Unsafe
Workplace and environmental conditions that cause
anti fog treatments to fail and put your workers at risk
Safety eyewear promotes workplace safety.
Anti fog promotes safety eyewear compliance.
It’s an established fact that 90% of the
2000 daily workplace eye injuries could be
prevented if the victim had been wearing
protective eyewear, such as safety glasses or
safety goggles. By one estimate, the annual
cost of eye injuries to employers is over
$300 million in lost production time, medical
expenses and worker compensation.
The relationship between anti fog and
the wearing of protective eyewear is well
documented. In a 2009 study published in
Accident Analysis & Prevention Magazine,
research with focus groups made up of
construction, manufacturing, service and
retail workers showed that 100% of the
groups named fogging as a factor for not
wearing safety eyewear, number one among
vision-related reasons. Over 55% of research
respondents suggested an anti fog solution
to increase usage of personal protective
eyewear. It was named by more focus groups
than incentives, warning signs, eyewear
cleaning stations and as a condition of
employment.
Nanofilm, the maker of Clarity Defog It™
anti fog, conducted a research study among
attendees at the 2009 National Safety
Council Congress and Expo. Over 70%
of the professionals who took part in the
survey stated they either manage or specify
products for people who have a problem with
fogged protective eyewear or have a personal
workplace fogging problem themselves.
This article is intended to review some of
the most challenging scenarios that can
cause fogging problems and the very real
hazards they create in workplace safety. If
a high-performance anti fog isn’t par t of
your organization’s planning for safety in the
workplace, you could be putting workers in
significant danger.
www.defogitworks.com • 1-888-ENDS-FOG •
Danger Zone 1: The space between eyewear
and face
Anti fog treatments work by creating an invisible absorbent
film on the lenses of eyeglasses, safety glasses and
safety goggles. The film absorbs moisture as microdroplets too small to see and spreads them across the
film surface. As a person works, the build-up of body heat
and the extra humidity created by perspiration put more
moisture in the air and increase the likelihood of fogging.
While eyewear styles let some of that heat and
moisture escape, close-fitting safety glasses, side guards
or wrap-around styles trap them. Closed safety goggles
or faceshields can have an even greater problem. For
maximum safety, an antifog must be able to perform in
the hot, moist mini-climates created by closed safety
eyewear.
Danger Zone 2: High heat combined with
high humidity
This can be double-trouble for work safety. Whether
these environmental factors are outdoor weather
(construction, mining, utilities) or indoor conditions (pulp
& paper, chemical processing, metal refining) the danger
is real. The humidity creates more moisture, which an
antifog must absorb and spread across the surface if it’s
to prevent fogging. The high heat increases the chance
of condensation of that moisture on protective eyewear.
In addition, the heat increases worker perspiration, further
adding to the moisture problem.
Many commercial anti fog treatments are not well bonded
to the surface, and, with continued exposure to moisture,
literally are washed away. An anti fog that’s formulated
to chemically bond more tightly to the lens will provide
longer lasting protection under the most challenging
conditions.
1011 Sweet Valley Drive, Valley View, Ohio 44125
Danger Zone 3: Unknown lens surfaces
Perhaps you’ve changed the type of safety glasses
or other protective eyewear you provide and suddenly
noticed an increased fogging problem. Or, your anti
fog seems to work well for one employee, but fails for
another. The lens material may be the culprit. Safety
eyewear is made from several materials, such as acrylic,
polycarbonate, other plastics, and even tempered glass.
Many – especially prescription lenses – may have an antireflective, non-scratch or easy-clean coating on them. An
anti fog that chemically bonds well to the surface of one
may only bond loosely to another, which means it will be
washed off more easily by humidity and perspiration.
The chemistry of formulating a broad-spectrum anti
fog that bonds well to many surfaces is complex. Each
type of lens material or coating has a specific “surface
energy” based on its molecular and chemical structure.
To adhere well to the material, an antifog must match
that lens’ specific surface energy. To perform effectively
across a variety of materials, the formulation must contain
a balance of surface-active agents to bridge the full range
of surface energies found on today’s lens materials.
Danger Zone 4: Full-body gear
As mentioned earlier, perspiration is the enemy of anti
fog. Workers in full-body protective gear, including tactical
officers, HAZMAT workers, firefighters, and nuclear utility
workers, put extra stress on the antifog used on safety
eyewear. Exertion in full-body gear creates more heat,
and workers perspire. Moreover, the full body gear is also
likely to include full-face protection as well. This creates
a closed system that doesn’t allow fog-causing heat and
moisture to escape. In this situation, an anti fog must
be performance-formulated, capable of absorbing high
amounts of moisture and staying bonded to the lens of
the safety glasses or safety goggles.
Danger Zone 5: Environmental changes
When pulp and paper workers experience the
rush of steam from the paper drying process, they
can be virtually blinded in an instant from the fogged
safety eyewear. But the conditions don’t have to be so
extreme. A kitchen worker going from the walk-in cooler
to the cooking area can have the same problem. A
construction worker, mail carrier or warehouse materials
handler who’s moving between indoor and outdoor tasks
is also at risk.
The anti fog must be fast acting, which requires a high
concentration of moisture absorbing ingredients in the
formulation, if workplace safety is to be maintained.
www.defogitworks.com • 1-888-ENDS-FOG •
• How can you test anti fogs?
Before you put an anti fog into the field,
consider testing its effectiveness in the
Danger Zones. The Research chemists
at Nanofilm, maker of Defog It, have
developed a number of tests to measure
performance under different conditions.
However, you can approximate this work
in these 20-min. experiments in your own
company kitchen.
• Heat and humidity test
Measures the effect of heat and humidity
on the coating.
1. Select samples of the safety eyewear
you use in your workplace. If you
have multiple types of lenses, test
them all.
2. Apply anti fog to one lens and leave
the other one bare.
3. Hold the protective eyewear over a
pot of boiling water for 30 seconds.
If fog forms on the coated lens, you could
have workplace safety problems in the real
world.
• Heat and cold cycle testing
This simulates moving from hot to
cold environments, such as working in
commercial kitchens or the work pattern of
people who move frequently from indoors
to outdoors.
1. Select samples of the safety eyewear
you use in your workplace. If you
have multiple types of lenses, test
them all.
2. Apply anti fog to one lens and leave
the other one bare.
3. Place them in the freezer for 5 min.
4. Take them out of the freezer and
breathe on the lenses to see if fog
forms.
5. Repeat 2 or 3 times.
If fog forms on the coated lens of your eye
protection, you could have problems in the
real world.
1011 Sweet Valley Drive, Valley View, Ohio 44125
About Clarity Defog It Anti fog
Defog It anti fog multi-use cloths and liquid can keep optics fog-free up to all
day with a single application. The formula is used by militaries around the world
to prevent fogged protective eyewear in vision-critical situations. It’s tested safe
and effective on safety glasses, safety goggles, faceshields and eyeglasses.
Defog It has been field tested and proven by organizations with identified
fogging issues, including global pulp and paper producers, utility companies,
the National Tactical Officers Association Members, the U.S. Coast Guard, the
National Ski Patrol and major U.S. mining organizations. In each case, users
reported the improved vision clarity that promotes usage of protective eyewear
and safety in the workplace.
The product has been rigorously performance tested. In one test, a lens treated
with Defog It was held over constant hot steam for 60 minutes without fog
forming. Similar anti fog products failed in as little as 5 minutes. In another test,
lenses coated with Defog It were moved between cold and hot environments
100 times without fog forming.
Additional Resources
National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety: Toolbox Talk
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/eye/toolbox-eye.html
Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety: Eyewear in the Workplace, Examining Barriers to Use
http://www.libertymutualgroup.com/omapps/ContentServer?c=cms_document&pagename=LMGResearchIn
stitute%2Fcms_document%2FShowDoc&cid=1239990441146
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Eye Safety for Emergency Response and Disaster Recovery
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/eye/eyesafe.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Eye Protection for Infection Control
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/eye/eye-infectious.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Eye Safety Checklist
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/eye/eyechecklist.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Eye Safety
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/eye/
Reducing Eye Injuries in the Workplace: A Study of Personal Protective Eyewear and Antifog
http://defogitworks.com/syncshow/uploaded_media/glmod_Modules_Knowledge-Center/Reducing_
Workplacircbrvbares_research-1307655297.pdf
How to Improve Workplace Safety: Seven Simple Best Practice Tips
http://defogitworks.com/syncshow/uploaded_media/glmod_Modules_Knowledge-Center/Seven_Tips_on_
Workplace_Eye_Safety-1307631132.pdf
www.defogitworks.com • 1-888-ENDS-FOG •
1011 Sweet Valley Drive, Valley View, Ohio 44125
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